Mobile & manufactured homes
By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor
Updated: November 5, 2026
- Homes built after June 15, 1976 are built to the federal HUD Code. Older homes have fewer carrier options.
- Whether you own the land or lease a lot in a community changes what you need to insure.
- Snow load, wind anchoring, heat sources and roof condition matter more here than in most of the country.
- Flood and moving the home both need separate coverage.
- Replacement cost isn’t always available on older homes, so ask how each quote settles a claim.
Manufactured homes are all over New England: communities in Rochester and Hudson, homes on wooded lots in central Maine, parks along the river valleys in Vermont, and neighborhoods on Cape Cod and in eastern Connecticut. Insuring one works a little differently from insuring a site-built house. Fewer carriers write them, the age and setup of the home matter a lot, and winter adds its own questions. Here’s how it usually works.
Mobile, manufactured or modular?
The words get used loosely, but they matter to underwriters. HUD explains that every manufactured home built in the U.S. after June 15, 1976 must be certified to its Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, the HUD Code, and carry a red certification label on each section (HUD). Homes built before that date are usually called mobile homes. Modular homes are built in sections in a factory too, but to the same state building codes as site-built houses, and are usually insured like any other home.
Before you call for a quote, find the HUD tag or the data plate inside the home (often in a kitchen cabinet, a bedroom closet or near the electrical panel). It lists the manufacturer, the date and the design loads the home was built for.
What a manufactured home policy covers
- The home itself, including attached additions, porches and decks.
- Other structures such as a shed, carport or detached deck.
- Personal property: furniture, clothes, electronics and tools.
- Loss of use if a covered loss makes the home unlivable.
- Personal liability and medical payments if someone is hurt or you damage someone else’s property.
One question to ask on every quote: does the policy pay replacement cost or actual cash value on the home? Some carriers offer replacement cost only on newer homes. On an older home, an actual cash value settlement takes depreciation off, which can leave a gap after a total loss.
Owned land or a community lot
If you own the land, you’re insuring the home and everything on the lot, and if there’s a mortgage or a chattel loan, the lender will want to be listed on the policy. If you lease a lot in a community, the park owns the land and the common areas, and your lot lease may require you to carry liability coverage and sometimes to name the community. Bring the lease when you ask for a quote so we can match what it asks for.
New England winters and manufactured homes
- Snow load. The data plate shows the roof load the home was designed for. Clear heavy snow safely, and ask whether a roof-over or pitched roof was added. Underwriters will ask.
- Frozen pipes. Water lines under the home are exposed. Heat tape, insulated skirting and a working heat source are what carriers expect. Burst pipe damage is often covered when you took reasonable care.
- Heat sources. Wood and pellet stoves are common. Expect questions about how they were installed and inspected. Space heaters and older furnaces can come up too.
- Ice dams and roof leaks. Interior water damage from a sudden leak is commonly covered. Long-term leaks are maintenance.
Wind, trees and anchoring
Tie-downs and anchors keep a home on its piers in high wind. Carriers often ask whether the home is tied down and skirted, and some ask for photos. Trees are the other big wind exposure in wooded lots. A limb through the roof is typically covered, but a dead tree you were asked to take down is a harder conversation.
Flood is separate
Manufactured home policies generally exclude flood, just like homeowners policies. Plenty of New England communities sit on low ground near rivers, and a manufactured home that’s elevated and anchored properly can qualify for flood coverage. Check your flood zone and ask us for a separate flood quote.
Older homes: what helps
Pre-1976 homes and homes with older systems can still be insured, but the list of carriers is shorter. Updates help: a newer roof or roof-over, updated electrical service, newer plumbing, a modern furnace, good skirting and tie-downs, and working smoke detectors. Keep receipts and photos of the work.
“With manufactured homes, the data plate and a few good photos go a long way. Tell us the year, the setup, and what’s been updated, and we can usually find options even for older homes.”
— Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance
Buying, selling or moving a home
If you’re buying a manufactured home, call us before closing. Lenders will want proof of insurance, and some carriers need an inspection or photos first. Moving a home to a new lot is a separate exposure: the home typically isn’t covered on the road unless the mover or a transit policy covers it. Set that up before the move.
What to have ready for a quote
- Year, make, model and size from the data plate or HUD tag
- Whether you own the land or lease a lot, and any community insurance requirements
- Updates to the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating, with years
- Tie-downs, skirting and any roof-over, porch or addition
- Heat source, including any wood or pellet stove
- Lender name and loan details, if you’re financing
- Photos of all four sides and the roof, if you have them
We write manufactured homes across the states where we’re licensed. Our mobile and manufactured home insurance page has more, along with our guides for Connecticut and New Hampshire.
We compare carriers that write manufactured and mobile homes and explain the trade-offs. Call (603) 431-4020 in Portsmouth or (203) 859-6858 in Fairfield (Monday–Thursday 9 AM–5 PM, Friday 8 AM–4 PM ET), or request a quote online.
State notes: Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont
Coverage basics are similar across New England, but park rules, flood history and winter design loads differ by state. The notes below keep those state facts distinct. We also publish longer guides for New Hampshire and Connecticut.
Massachusetts
The Census Bureau estimates about 23,700 mobile homes among roughly 3.03 million housing units in Massachusetts (ACS 2024, B25024). Most sit in licensed manufactured housing communities under G.L. c. 140 §§32A–32R. Community rules must be reasonable and applied uniformly, and many communities set insurance requirements that your policy has to match. Homes on owned land in western and central counties underwrite more like other single-family homes when the foundation, updates and use look solid. Coastal parks on Cape Cod, Buzzards Bay and the North Shore need real attention to tie-downs, skirting and a separate flood policy for surge.
- Community license and rules. No one may operate a manufactured housing community without a license (§32A). Rule changes and discontinuance/relocation rights are spelled out in the statute; bring the community rules when you ask for a quote.
- Right of first refusal. When a community is sold, residents can have a path to buy under §32R if the thresholds are met. Timing matters for insurance if ownership of the park changes.
- Flood. A standard mobile home policy excludes flood. FEMA treats a properly elevated and anchored manufactured home as eligible for NFIP coverage; private flood is an option when NFIP limits or waiting periods are a problem.
Maine
Maine has about 61,300 mobile homes among roughly 752,000 housing units (ACS 2024, B25024)—a larger share of the housing stock than in Massachusetts or Vermont. Licensed manufactured housing communities are defined in 10 M.R.S. §9081 (land under single ownership planned for three or more homes). Lot rent notice, park sales, removal standards and rules for selling a home built before 1976 are all in Title 10. The home’s data plate lists the federal roof-load and wind zones it was built for; northern Maine counties sit in the North roof-load zone, and Hancock and Washington Counties are Wind Zone II.
- Snow load and the data plate. Underwriters ask what the plate says and whether a roof-over was added. Clear heavy snow safely; ice dams and underfloor plumbing are common winter claims.
- Pre-1976 homes. Maine has specific removal and sale standards for older homes (including electrician/heating/PE report language in 10 M.R.S. §9094). Updates help widen carrier options.
- Flood and river/coast storms. Recent December 2023 and January 2024 storms flooded river and coastal property. Flood is separate from the manufactured home form; check elevation and anchoring before you rely on a flood quote.
Vermont
Vermont has about 19,900 mobile homes among roughly 339,000 housing units (ACS 2024, B25024). Many parks sit along river valleys. Vermont regulates manufactured home parks under 10 V.S.A. chapter 153 (written leases, rent notice, park approval of sales, flood-hazard notice addendum) and title/transfer rules under 9 V.S.A. §2602. DHCD’s 2024 registry summarized hundreds of parks and thousands of lots statewide. VHFA and Flood Ready Vermont document heavy park losses in Tropical Storm Irene and the July 2023 floods—including destroyed homes in places like Berlin—so flood and park location are first questions, not afterthoughts.
- Lease and park rules. Written leases, notice periods and park approval of a sale can all affect how you insure and transfer the home. Bring the lease to the quote.
- Owned land. A home permanently sited on land you own is often financed as residential real estate under 9 V.S.A. §2603, which changes the lender’s insurance ask versus a chattel loan on a park home.
- Flood. River-valley parks need a separate flood policy review. Elevation, anchoring and the park’s own flood history matter as much as the FEMA map.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a mobile home and a manufactured home?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but technically homes built in a factory on a permanent chassis after June 15, 1976 are manufactured homes, built to the federal HUD Code and labeled with a HUD certification tag. Homes built before that date are usually called mobile homes. Modular homes are different again and are typically insured like site-built houses.
Does a standard homeowners policy cover a manufactured home?
Usually not. Most manufactured homes are insured on a policy or form written for them, which covers the home, other structures, belongings, loss of use and liability. Some homes on a permanent foundation on owned land may qualify for a regular homeowners policy, depending on the carrier.
Can I insure an older mobile home built before 1976?
Often yes, though fewer carriers write them and some only cover them at actual cash value. Updates to the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating, and good tie-downs and skirting, can widen your options.
Does my park require me to carry insurance?
Many manufactured home communities require residents to carry liability coverage and sometimes to name the community on the policy. Check your lot lease or community rules and tell us what they require.
Is flood covered on a manufactured home policy?
Generally no. Flood needs a separate policy, and manufactured homes in flood zones can qualify for flood coverage if they are properly elevated and anchored. Many New England communities sit near rivers and low ground, so it’s worth checking.
Does insurance cover moving a manufactured home?
Not automatically. Moving a home to a new lot usually needs separate transit coverage, often arranged through the mover, before the home is moved. Call us before you schedule the move.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Manufactured Housing Homeowner Resources, checked November 4, 2026.
- Insurance Information Institute, Which disasters are covered by homeowners insurance?, checked November 4, 2026.
- FEMA, FloodSmart, checked November 4, 2026.
This article is general information, not an offer of coverage or a promise that any loss is covered. Your policy wording and each carrier’s underwriting decide coverage.
Jon founded Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, a family-owned independent agency based in Portsmouth, NH, with a second office in Fairfield, CT, and licensed in 10 states. The agency is New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials.
Related guides: Mobile and manufactured home insurance · Manufactured homes in Connecticut · Mobile home tips in New Hampshire · Flood insurance
Next step: Request a manufactured home insurance quote or call (603) 431-4020.